Work-conveying platform or car



J. W. DIRKSON ET AL WORK CONVEYING PLATFORM QR CAR Fild Jan 22 192! 5 Sh'eets-Sheet 1 J. W. DIRKSON ET AL WORK CONVEYING PLATFORM. 0R CAR Uct. 14 192% v ,J. W. DIRKSON ET AL WORK CONVEYING PLATFORM on CAR 192: 5 Shets-Sheet 5 Fil ed Jan. 22.,

' met. 14 19m.

W. DIRKSON ET AL.

WORK CONVEYING PLATFORM OR CAR Fil ed Jaxi. 22. 1921 5 Sheets-S heet 4 substantially elliptical, tracks, in order to Patented Uet. i141, i924.

tenet JDHN W. DIRKSON, OF KENT, AND LEE E. CLOUGI-I, OF AKRON, OHIO.

"WORK-CONVEYING PLATFORM 0R CAB].

Application filed January 22, 1921. Serial No. 439,287.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN W. DmxsoN and LEE E. CLOUGH, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Kent,v

in the county of Portage and State of Ohio, and of Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new station to another whereon successive constructive operations are performed at such different stations. Preferably, in factory practice, these cars are mounted upon cir cular, and more often straightsided and conserve space and obtain continous operation of the system; the cars being connected in a complete circuit of the track whereon they are advanced step by step as the work progresses.

Our invention, as herein specifically applied and described, is adapted for building carcasses of pneumatic tires, although it will be understood that the improvements herein described and claimed are not necessarily limited to this employment or use. The procedure in thus building the carcasses requires that each stage of the work shall be efliciently performed within a minimum time limit; hence it is essential to commercial production that the product, to wit: the carcasses mounted upon suitable tire bucks, shall be advanced from station to station, securely held in position for the work to be performed andas promptly released for advance to the next succeeding station. Accordingly, we have devised certain improvements, as set out more definitely in the claims and explained at length in 'the specification, each marking a distinctadvance in the art.

These improvements, as modified and applied to the tire building art, may best be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: I a

Figure l is a perspective view of one of the cars and the tire buck mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a view thereof in front elevation.

Figure 3 is a, plan view of said device,

Figures 4 and 5 are merely diagrammatical views which indicate the positioning and operation of the car wheels.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view showing one of the track detents.

Figure 7 is another diagrammatical view illustrating a portion of the curved and straight track section with the cars at stations 1, 2, 3, etc.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of two 0pposing flanged wheels in their approximate tangential relation with the rails, and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially broken away, showing the actuating mechanism for advancing the cars;

Throughout the I several figures of the drawings we have employed the same character of reference to indicate similar parts.

The bed (a) of the car or truck comprises a four sided iron plate, somewhat wider at the front than at the back, as best shown in Figure 3, in order'that the curvature of the track may be more readily accommodated and the cars may be closely connected.

At the four corners of the bed (a flanged corner brackets (12) are riveted to the underside of said bed wherein there are journaled the supporting wheels (0). Preferably, these wheels are small in diameter and are provided with short curved flanges (0) for engaging the inner faces of the supportingrail heads.

in ordinary practice it is. customary to widen, the gauge of a track at the curved portions thereof and to bank the outer rail, but this we have avoided in order to pre vent any side-play of the car throughout the entire circuit of the track, which is endless, and usually is provided with straight side sections and rather sharply curved end sections, as respectively shown in Figures 5 and 4: by diagram and in Figure 3 by the full and dotted lines showing the rails (at), both straight and curved sections being of uniform gauge.

Departing again from ordinary practice, the opposing wheels (0) are set upon the bed approximating but slightly less than the radial angle ofthe curved sections of track: the inner wheels (0) thereby being positioned closer together than are the outer wheels, as shown in accurate relation in Figure 3 and somewhat exaggerated form for the purpose of illustrating the theory in Figures 4 and 5. In order better to fit all sections of track, these stationary wheels are line-position, Figure 6,

essential thatthe' cars shall be looked front and rear bynduplioatedbraokets and latches,

as wjnstsindicated above, but this, construe-1 tion: is *pnezferablegisin ee P113 lends inaterra-l V 1 table earns 9) {eonneoted ing lugw 1 mg: :st'raa spaced apartratga slightly greater; gauge as: comparerlwwith the uniform gange- 0 f traek, 1 'so that the curved flanges of" the wheels thereof isprovided with a spring (12'') t'end- I nonnallymto force the latch to itslall a stopd carried by th'e ear and seou rely hold said car against either for-wander ba'okwardnrnovement along the: rails. The reta- Figure: -1, are.associated-with the pressingthe,plunger (h) against the ten sio'n' o f this "sipi -ing (W v), as shown in dotted lines,- -Figune 1, is enabled to retract both the frontandrear la tehes 1(6) npon rotating the it contacting I ends (gt-J)" -o f. sai d cams within the reoesse'd1en'ds::-'o their; respective latches; (el .A complete depression. oi;- the 1 plunger ('h lwrotates said earns suiifioi'entlyqto per-= Init Ith e ole-g to engage the shoulder (9) of '-*tli'e' c ams,- whereby the associated latches (e) are locked in. their retracted positions the lo'r-"a'ohets-V are disengaged; as

shown liln' Figure It is: not absolutely stability to the gwonhingipositionot each ear; Wlrenwthevoar is advanced toward the right; the bracket; f3 servesto trip the dog: (il -,1 thereloywefi eetiingi the release ofwthe. cams -:(g)- .anduthemassooiated. latches (e) froinztheir retracted positions.

Theseverafl oar-s. aremc'onnecte'd by short swiveled link-s (jige'ac'h having-the dependfrom wstationto staition. For this purpose we; pretterablyie nploy "one .or. more bracketed air oylindersrit'lcdl, suoh as shown ins-Figure 9. Eachcylinder is of suohwlengthras :to

thereobeomprise -cros'sheada-(lcr), having a stout pivoted-ilatoh :(Zl mounted at the exe trem-ity thereofa Normally this v-xla 'tch. is res af-Boindwa zstroheilequal: toifthe travel. ofr a car "froitnstaitionzto station azand, in addition, I presides a terminal cushioning. space for the at; both/ends -oftlneestrokei This, sac:-

condi nglyg aifords a safe and eefiioient means 1 for. impelling. the (train. withoutrshock :corj a1, although We: don :not limit onriiinprove ments to the -means in: questions at The details 'whe'reby eaoh earr m-ay be held seherein It 1 engages the rod-i (h),;

front andre and the-eorresponclinglatches (elm accordingly, an operative upon de- 1 :(Figzh), wherebythe COMHe'Ctwcircuit rot oars -maybe iadvanoed tracted by its ownweight, but beneath said lateh therei's posi-itione'd--:a pivoted" arm (m) which is adapted to elevate the latch immediately-itslower end is engaged with the shoulder (m) upon the outward movement of the crosshead while said arm is retracted at the completion of the stroke upon its engagementwith th-e'shoulder (771/). Thus the latch is first upwardly extended to engage the lug (j) and advances the train under the impetus of the air cylinder and then is self'retracting upon the outer stroke ofthe air cylinder for advancing the train, step by step. 1

As above-explained,- the cars will :be auto matically stopped and held by the locking meohairisni of ,Figureh upon each successive plication to one-ofthearts, we claim as new and 1 desire to. secure by. Letters Patent, to-. gether with such modifications and adaptations as may be made nierely'byth'ose skilled in the ant, the following:

1. In combination with an endless curved railway, a plurality of work conveying platform-s iHIOUlDteCl thereon; each platfo'rn'i comprising a vfour-sided bed plate Wider atits outerwth-an its inner edge and four flanged supporting. wheels mounted in rigid bearingsupon-the underside of the bed with their axes approximating the I radial angle of the curved section er :raiiln-ay, substantially as set forth; I

2. .In combination with an endless curved and fstraightsided railway, a plurality of work conveying. platforms mounted there on; each platform rcon-iprising- 1a fmir-sided bed plate :wideratitswouter than its inner edge and four flanged supporting Wheels mounted in rigid .bearings upon the "underside-oft the-bed with their'axes approximating less than theradial angle-of the curved section ofrailway, substantially as set lierth.

combination with an endlesscnrved and straightsided railway, a plurality of work ;oonveying platforms mounted thereon; eachyplatform's;comprising a bed positioned'closelysadjacent to the railsof said railway, of: wheels within rigid theireraxes at less than that ofthe radial angle of the curved section of railway, and means for temporarily look ing. the platforms in predeter-inined posibearings, having and mounted thereon 'by two sets but approximately tions along the railway, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a work supporting railway having relatively curved and straight portions; the curved portions being of the same gauge as the straight portions with an unbanked outer rail, of a plurality of work supporting cars mounted for travel upon said railway, and means independently operable at various predetermined positions for temporarily locking the cars and jointly releasing the same, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a work conveying car, of supporting rails whereon the car is adapted to travel, means associated with each rail at predetermined positions for locking the car against travel and independently actuated means at each position for releasing the car, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with supporting rails and a wheeled work conveying platform mounted thereon, of a power device positioned between said rails having a reciprocatory movement longitudinally thereof, an over-balanced latch member actuated thereby, a co-acting arm pivoted beneath the latch member to elevate the same, and stops between which the arm travels for extending and retracting such arm, whereby the latch may be operably engaged to effect the travel of the platform, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with an endless railway and a plurality of cars mounted thereon, of means for locking said cars in predetermined positions along the railway, a fluid actuated cylinder positioned adjacent to and substantially in the plane of said rails, and connecting means for effecting the intermittent travel of the cars, step by step, substantially as set forth.

8. A work conveying platform comprising a four-sided, substantial flat bed plate, wider at its outer than its inner edge, four corner brackets secured adjacent to the corners of said bed plate, and two pairs of opposing wheels mounted by said brackets rigidly with respect to the bed plate with their axe forming an acute angle, substantially as et forth.

9. In combination with a supporting rail and a wheeled platform traveling thereon, of a detent carried by the platform, a pivoted recessed latch mounted rigidly with respect to the rail; the recess being adapted to engage and hold the detent, a retracting cam for the latch and a dog adapted temporarily to maintain the latch in its retracted position, substantially as set forth.

10. In combination with an endless track comprising curved and straight side-sections of uniform gauge, of a carrier mounted thereon equipped with four flanged wheels; the extended axes of said wheels forming an acute angle and the effective gauge being less than, but approximating ilosleily that of the track, substantially as set "ort 1.

11. A car or carrier of the class described, comprising a rigid metal bed-plate, corner brackets secured thereto, and four flanged wheels journaled to rotate in said brackets with their extended axes permanently forming an acute angle, whereby the carrier is maintained in definite position intermediately of its supporting rails, substantially as set forth.

12. In combination with an endless track comprising curved and straight sections, of a carrier mounted to travel upon said track comprising a rigid metal bed-plate wider at its outer edge, and four flanged wheels rigidly journaled at its corners with their extended axes permanently forming an acute angle, whereby said carrier is maintained in definite position intermediately of the straight and curved sections of track,sub stantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we have hereto set our names this 22nd day of December, A. D. 1920.

JOHN W. DIRKSON. LEE E. CLOUGH. 

